Ulrich II (Carinthia), Duke of Carinthia

The duke's own ground in Carinthia: St.

Veit, where the ducal seat moved from Freiberg castle in the late twelfth century and which is called a market in 1199; the Zollfeld with Karnburg and the Prince's Stone; the duke's market of Klagenfurt on the Spitalsberg (founded by Duke Hermann, first named between 1192 and 1199); Völkermarkt, a Spanheim market of about 1090 at the Drava crossing; and the lower Lavanttal round the family abbey of St. Paul, whose advocacy the dukes hold. The Spanheim lands round Ljubljana are on the Northern Italy map (Spanheim at Ljubljana).

Who he is

Name: Ulrich II of Spanheim (ill; his brother Bernhard governs as regent)
Title: Duke of Carinthia
Since: 1181; ruling in person 1194-1198
Born: about 1176
Family: See the carinthia realm record.
Confidence: high

German and English Wikipedia; FMG Medieval Lands (Carinthia).

Overlord

The German king (Philip of Swabia, whom Ulrich helped elect in 1198).

What it holds

St. Veit (forum in 1199) and Freiberg castle.
The Zollfeld with Karnburg, the Prince's Stone and the Duke's Chair.
Klagenfurt market (forum Chlagenuurt, named between June 1192 and March 1199), on the Spitalsberg at the edge of the Glan marshes.
Völkermarkt market at the Drava crossing (Volchimercatus, named 1105-1126); the Drava bridge is built only in 1217.
The advocacy of St. Paul im Lavanttal (founded 1091) and of St. Georgen am Längsee; the duke's high court in the Lavanttal (later held at Hartneidstein).
The advocacy of Viktring, the Cistercian house founded in 1142 by Count Bernhard of Spanheim-Marburg.
Hochosterwitz, a ducal fief since the mid-twelfth century (formerly Salzburg's), held by the Schenken of Osterwitz, the dukes' hereditary cupbearers (Osterwitz).

How it was acquired

The Spanheim estates round St. Veit, the Lavanttal and Klagenfurt came from Siegfried I's marriage to Richgard of Lavant (eleventh century); the duchy itself from the Eppensteiners in 1122.

Allies and rivals

See the carinthia realm record.

How things stand that morning

Held in Ulrich II's name and governed by Bernhard. Ulrich and Bernhard confirmed donations to St. Georgen am Längsee on 31 March 1199.

Wealth

Market dues at St. Veit, Klagenfurt and Völkermarkt on the iron and Italy roads; rents of the domain.

Military

The duke's ministeriales and castles round St. Veit; names not pinned here.

Threats

The duke's illness.
Bamberg's and Salzburg's lordships hem in the domain on every side.

Places of note

St. Veit: Forum in 1199; the ducal seat.
Karnburg: The Prince's Stone.
Klagenfurt (the first market): The duke's forum on the Spitalsberg.
Völkermarkt: Spanheim market of about 1090.
St. Paul im Lavanttal: The family abbey (1091).

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: The places and their first dates are from the town articles; the ducal domain's extent round them is inferred.

On the map: The ducal domain is drawn round its known centres; its edges are not pinned.

Primary sources for Carinthia

Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.

The Austrian and Salzburg annals (kept in the 12th and 13th centuries, with continuations to the late 13th century). A family of monastic annals from Austria, Styria and Salzburg, printed together. Read online

Sources and studies

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.